Rotary brush construction



Dec. 5, 1967 G. J. CLARK 3355,1758

ROTARY BRUSH CONSTRUCTION F'i-led Jan. 14, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l .INVENTOR. v /WLOQD u. CL/QQK 4 TTOP/VA'VJ Dec. 5, 1967 G. J. CLARK 3,355,758

ROTARY BRUSH CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 14, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENITOR. @LWZOPD (ZAQK United States Patent 3,355,758 RUTARY BRUSH CONSTRUCTION Gaylord J. Clark, R0. Box 216, Coloma, Mich. 49038 Filed Jan. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 520,786 Claims. (Cl. -181) ABSTRACT OF THE DISQLOSUIRE A rotary brush construction comprised of a plurality of brush sections assembled so that one section can be replaced without disassembly of the entire brush construction. Each section comprises a pair of semicylindrical shells formed with mating end walls therein, the end Walls having recesses to permit the pair of shells to be positioned in surrounding relationship to a shaft. The brush sections are coaxially positioned adjacent one another and are provided with coupling means between the adjacent end walls thereof so as to prevent relative rotation therebetween.

This invention relates in general to a rotary brush and, more particularly, to a type thereof designed for use in car washing operations.

The sizes and shapes of automobiles and the types and locations of projections therefrom, such as bumpers, vary widely so that the body-engaging rotary brushes used in car washing operations must be capable of accommodating all of the variations. Moreover, the brushes must be made sufiiciently strong that they will not be readily damaged when engaged by cars having any of these projections. Further, it is desirable that the brushes be made so that they have no parts, other than the brush bristles, extending away from the cylindrical side surfaces and fiat end surfaces required to define the brush cores.

Since brushes are broken from time to time, in spite of precautionary measures being taken, it is also important that the economic losses, due to such breakage, be reduced to an absolute minimum. When a brush is broken on existing equipment, the car washing operation must often be stopped for a relatively long period of time. Thus, it is important not only to have a brush construction which resists breakage, but also to have a brush construction wherein the broken parts can be quickly removed and replaced without materially delaying the car washing operation.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a rotary brush construction wherein the total brush is comprised of a plurality of brush segments which are assembled so that one section or one segment can be replaced without materially disturbing any of the other, similar sections or segments in the brush construction, and whereby the external surfaces of the core shells are devoid of radial projections which can damage a vehicle being engaged by one of said rotary brush constructions.

A further object of this invention is to provide a brush construction which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which can be quickly and easily installed and which can be maintained by any person capable of operating a car Washing installation.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a rotary brush construction, as aforesaid, which has shells capable of supporting the bristles so that they project along the full length of the brush construction, and thereby provide an effective, unbroken cleaning surface of uniform density throughout the axial length of the brush construction.

Other objects and purposes of this invention will become apparent to persons familiar with this type of equipment upon reading the following specification and examining the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a broken, side elevational view of a brush construction embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded, perspective view of a brush construction embodying the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View taken along the line III-III in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a broken, modified brush construction.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a broken, ther modified construction.

FIGURE 7 is a broken, other modified construction.

FIGURE 8 is an inside view of one of the shells appearing in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a broken, inside a modified end wall.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken along the line X-X in FIGURE 9.

For convenience in description, the terms left and right will have reference to the left and right ends of the brush constructions appearing in FIGURES 1, 4, 6 and 7, for example. The terms inner, outer and derivatives thereof will have reference to the geometric center of a brush construction or one of the sections or seg ments thereof.

side elevational view of a side elevational view of a furside elevational view of anview of a shell having General construction The objects and purposes of the invention, including those set forth above, have been met by providing a rotary brush construction comprising shaft means, a plurality of semicylindrical shells mountable in pairs upon said shaft means so that each pair of shells is coaxial with and closely adjacent to another pair of shells. Each shell has flexible elements anchored upon and extending radially outwardly from the outer surface thereof, and each pair of shells is rigidly secured together and upon the shaft means so that they cannot move with respect to said shaft. A number of different types of shell constructions are disclosed to indicate various interlock mechanisms which can be provided without destroying the interchangeability of the pairs of shells for replacement purposes.

Detailed description drical shells 16 are joined together in pairs and are rigidly I mounted on a shaft 19.

More particularly, referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, the semicylindrical shells preferably have identical lengths, and their side walls 13 have substantially identical inside and outside diameters which are greater than the diameter of the shaft 19. Said shells 16 have end walls 21 and 22 fiush with the axial ends of the semicylindrical side walls 13. The end Walls 21 and 22 have concentric, semicylindrical recesses 23 and 24, respectively, which define circular openings 25 in the opposite ends of each brush section in which the shaft 19 is snugly received. Said openings 25' have keyways 2d, 27, 23 and 29 spaced degrees from each other. Keyways 27 and 29 are positioned so that they are at the midpoint of the semicylindrical recesses 23 and 24, and keyways 26 and 23 are positioned so that they are at the parting line of the shells It).

The side walls 13 (FIGURE 2) have thickened portions 14 near the four corners of their parting faces 15 to accommodate transverse openings 35 which are preferably perpendicular to said parting sides and along chords of said side walls 13. The openings 35 have enlargements 37 to receive the heads 35 on the bolts 34 which are slideably receivable through said openings 36. The nuts 33 are also received in said enlargements 37 to engage said bolts and thereby secure the semicyclindrical shells 16 together. Other means of securing the semicylindrical shells 16 together are feasible. Thus, the bolt means shown in this embodiment are intended only for illustrative purposes.

The shaft 19 has a plurality of pairs of axially aligned, diametrically disposed keyways 38 arranged for radial alignment with either pair of the diametrically disposed keyways 26 and 28 or 27 and 29 in the end walls 21 and 2 of the semicylindrical shells 16. Keys 39 are placed in the keyways 33 and are positioned so that they are also received in the keyways 6 and 2-8 or 27 and 29.

Each brush it) is preferably comprised of a plurality of brush sections 11. Thus, the keyways 38 and key 39 are preferably of such length that one set can provide the holding means for the adjacent end walls of two adjacent brush sections.

A pair of collars 31 and 32 are positioned at the opposite axial ends of the brush it), and are secured to the shaft 19 by means such as set set screw 4%. Also, a key 39 and keyway 38 can be used to increase the securernent. The collars 31 and 32 engage the outer ends of the two brush sections at the opposite axial ends of the brush and thereby prevents the assembly from sliding axially from the desired position on the shaft 19.

The parting line between one pair of brush segments 12 may be at right angles to the parting lines between the segments in the adjacent brush sections, whereby a better dynamic balance may be maintained.

A modified rotary brush construction 19A having shells A is shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. The end walls 21A and 22A of the shells 16A have notches 41 and tongues 42, respectively, which are perpendicular to the parting faces 15A on the opposing sides of the shells 15A. With the exception of these notches 41 and tongues 42, the construction of the semicylindrical shells may otherwise be identical to that shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. The purpose of the tongue 42 and notch 41 is to interlock the pairs of shells 16A to each other and thereby further oppose relative rotation between them.

Collars 43 and 44 are secured to the shaft 19A and positioned at the opposite ends of the rotary brush WA to prevent axial movement of the shells 16A. Collar 43 has a pair of parallel tongues 46 which mate with the pair of notches 41 in the shell member 16A. The collar 4-4 has a pair of parallel notches 47 which mate with the pair of parallel tongues extending outwardly from the end wall 22A of the shell 16A.

With this arrangement the individual segments 12 can still be removed, one at a time, from the brush 16A merely by removing the nuts 33A and bolts 34A which hold the particular segments together.

A modified rotary brush 10B, which is shown in FIG- URE 6, may be identical to that shown in FIGURE 4, except that there are two types of shells 6t) and 61. The shell 60 is identical with the shell 16A in that the notches 41B and tongues 42B are perpendicular to the parting plane defined by the opposing faces 15B of a pair of shells. However, the notches 62 and tongues 63 on the shells 61 are parallel with said parting plane.

This arrangement provides a stronger assembly, but necessitates the removal of an adjacent pair of shells 60 before a shell 61 can be removed, due to the orientation of the notches 62 and tongues 53.

In all other respects, the details of construction of the 4 shells 6t) and 61 may be and preferably are the same as those in the shells 1'6 and/ or 15A.

The modified brush construction 19C, which is shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, is significant because it combines the features of the end structure on the brush sections shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 with those shown in FIG- URES 4 and 6. That is, the tongue and notch assemblies are used, but the tongues are provided by the bolts 34C.

More particularly, each shell member 16C has a pair of notches 43 which are semicylindrical and are placed in the end walls 21C and 22C substantially perpendicular to the parting plane defined by the opposing faces 15C of the shell 16C. The side walls 13C have thickened portions 49 between the lengthwise ends of the semicylindrical shell member 16C. Said portions 49 have openings 50 which are axially aligned and preferably perpendicular to said faces 15C when said notches 48 in the end walls 21C and 22C are also aligned.

When a plurality of pairs of semicylindrical shells 16C are placed on the shaft 19C, the notches 48 in the end walls 2 1C and 22C snugly embrace the bolts 34C, and bolts 34C are placed in openings 55) whereby the semicylindrical shells 16C are secured on said shaft 19C and against relative rotation with respect to each other.

Collar 43C may be similar to the collars 43A and 433, except that collar 43C has semicylindrical tongues 46 of the same diameter as is the semicylindrical notches 48. When the semicylindrical tongues are disposed in the semicylindrical notches, an interlocking connection is created between the pairs of semicylindrical shells 16C and the collar member 43C, and the shells are thereby locked to the shaft 19C. The notches 48 are located so that the shaft 19C does not interfere with the bolts 34C.

A further modified rotary brush construction HID which is shown in FIGURES 9 and 10, is similar to that shown in FIGURE 2, except that both end walls are recessed. More particularly, end wall 51 of shell 16D is recessed from the end 52 of the shell, the semicylindrical recess 54, defined by the end wall 51 and the inner surface of the side wall 53 is formed to receive the locking collar 55 when it is secured to the shaft 19D. Although, the depth of the recess 54 can vary, it is preferably approximately equal to the thickness of the collar member 56.

A semicylindrical, concentric opening 57 is formed in the end wall 51 of each shell 16D, and a keyway 58 is placed in the Wall of the opening 57 for the reception of a key 59 to prevent relative rotation between the shell 16D and the shaft 19D, which has a keyway 26D into which said key 59 is also received.

The purpose of the recessed end walls 51 is to avoid any projection beyond the ends of the brush 101) which can engage and thereby damage a car.

Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of such disclosure, which come within the scope of the appended claims, are fully contemplated.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a rotary brush construction mountable upon a shaft means, the combination comprising:

a plurality of substantially identical cylindrical brush sections coaxially mounted on said shaft means, opposite ends of each section being defined by annular end faces with each end face being positioned within a single plane substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of said shaft means, the end faces of adjacent sections being closely adjacent one another to form a substantially continuous rotary brush;

each brush section comprising a pair of substantially semicylindrical shells and each shell having a pair of substantially semicircular and integral end walls near the opposite axial ends thereof, each end wall having in the diametrical edge thereof a substantially concentric recess adapted for snug reception of said shaft means;

a plurality of elongated and flexible elements secured to and extendable radially away from closely adja cent positions on the peripheral surfaces of said shells, said positions being located substantially uniformly over the full extent of said peripheral surfaces;

means disposed within the cylinder defined by said peripheral surfaces rigidly holding each pair of shells together to form a section;

collar means detachably fixed to said shaft means closely adjacent the remote end Walls of those sections defining the opposite ends of the brush construction; and

coupling means, including axially extending elements, interconnecting the end walls of adjacent sections and the end Walls of the outermost sections to said collar means for preventing relative rotation therebetween, each section being capable of removal from a brush construction without removing any other section thereof.

2. A rotary brush construction according to claim 1, wherein said holding means comprises a plurality of transverse openings located along chords of each section and extending through both shells thereof, and rod means disposed Within said openings for holding one shell of a pair tightly with respect to the other shell of said pair when said shaft means is received within said recesses.

3. A construction according to claim 2, wherein said transverse openings have axes extending substantially perpendicularly through the plane defined by the opposing faces of said pair of shells, said transverse openings passing through said end walls and being radially spaced from said recesses therein.

4. A construction according to claim 2, wherein said end walls are spaced axially inwardly from the end faces of said shells; and

wherein the axes of said transverse openings are substantially perpendicular to the parting plane defined between the opposing faces of said pair of shells and spaced from said recesses.

5. A construction according to claim 2,

wherein said collar means comprises lock collars mounted upon and secured to said shaft means at the opposite ends of said coaxially aligned brush sections; and

wherein said end Walls are recessed so that said collars are disposed completely within said cylinders.

6. A construction according to claim 2, wherein said coupling means comprises groove means at one axial end of each pair of shells and tongue means at the other axial end thereof, said tongue means being snugly and slideably receivable into said groove means for preventing relative rotation between said pairs of shells.

7. A construction according to claim 2, wherein said coupling means comprises a plurality of aligned grooves in the axially opposite ends of said shells, so that, when two coaxial pairs of shells are placed adjacent to each other, said grooves form bolt openings extending transverse of said cylinder; and

bolt means disposed in said bolt openings to prevent relative movement between said shells.

8. A construction according to claim 2, wherein the axially extending elements of said coupling means comprise key means nonrotatably fixed to said shaft means and further being nonrotatably fixed to the adjacent end walls of adjacent brush sections for preventing relative rotation therebetween.

9. A construction according to claim 6, wherein said collar means comprises first and second collar elements mounted upon and secured to said shaft means at opposite ends of said coaxially aligned brush sections; and

wherein said coupling means comprises tongue means formed on said first collar with said tongue means adapted to be received within groove means formed on the end face of one outermost brush section, and groove means on said second collar adapted to receive therein tongue means formed on the end face of the other outermost brush section.

10. A construction according to claim 1, wherein said holding means and said coupling means comprise a plurality of substantially semicylindrical transverse openings located along chords of said cylinder on opposite axial ends of each pair of shells, the axes of said semicylindrical openings being substantially perpendicular to the parting plane between the opposing faces of said pair of shells, and rod means being snugly received within said openings for holding one shell of a pair tightly with respect to the other shell of said pair when said shaft means is received within said recesses and for preventing relative rotation between adjacent pairs of shells.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,105,844 8/1914 Schaperjahn. 1,155,304 9/1915 Dunham. 2,372,933 4/ 1945 Caldwell 15--181 2,575,635 11/1951 Meyer et al. 15-181 2,970,333 2/1961 Jones "15-183 2,978,726 4/1961 Park 15183 FOREIGN PATENTS 211,225 11/1922 Great Britain. 352,737 7/1921 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. P. FELDMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A ROTARY BRUSH CONSTRUCTION MOUNTABLE UPON A SHAFT MEANS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL CYLINDRICAL BRUSH SECTIONS COAXIALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT MEANS, OPPOSITE ENDS OF EACH SECTION BEING DEFINED BY ANNULAR END FACES WITH EACH END FACE BEING POSITIONED WITHIN A SINGLE PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SHAFT MEANS, THE END FACES OF ADJACENT SECTIONS BEING CLOSELY ADJACENT ONE ANOTHER TO FORM A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS ROTARY BRUSH; EACH BRUSH SECTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY SEMICYLINDRICAL SHELLS AND EACH SHELL HAVING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY SEMICIRCULAR AND INTEGRAL END WALLS NEAR THE OPPOSITE AXIAL ENDS THEREOF, EACH END WALL HAVING IN THE DIAMETRICAL EDGE THEREOF A SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRIC RECESS ADAPTED FOR SNUG RECEPTION OF SAID SHAFT MEANS; A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED AND FLEXIBLE ELEMENTS, SECURED TO AND EXTENDABLE RADIALLY AWAY FROM CLOSELY ADJACENT POSITIONS ON THE PERIPHERAL SURFACES OF SAID SHELLS, SAID POSITION BEING LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY OVER THE FULL EXTENT OF SAID PERIPHERAL SURFACES; 